Immunity and Infection Flashcards
What are the characteristics of the innate immune response?
Non-specific; used immediately or within several hours after exposure to antigen (0-4h); responds the same way every time; distinguishes between self and non-self; induces and directs the acquired immune response
What are the components of the innate immune response?
Physical/anatomical barriers; secreted compounds (cytokines, antibacterial compounds, complements, natural antibodies); cellular components (phagocytes, NK cells)
When, after exposure to the antigen, does the acquired immunity (adaptive immunity) begin?
> 96 hours
How does the skin prevent entry of pathogens?
Secretes anti-microbial compounds (against E. Coli)
How do tears, sweat and saliva prevent the entry of pathogens?
Contain lysozyme –> destroy bacterial cell wall
How does the innate immune response recognise the pathogen?
Recognises PAMPs
How are gram negative and gram positive bacteria differentiated?
GRAM NEGATIVE: small peptidoglycan component, presences of outer membrane containing lipopolysaccharide (LPS): lipid A (PAMP part), O polysaccharide (tells you which type of bacteria it is)
GRAM POSITIVE: big peptidoglycan component, no outer membrane, teichoic and lipoteichoic acid present
Which are the pattern recognition receptors (PRR)?
- Collectins (serum)
- Toll-like receptors (membrane)
- Nod-like receptors (cytoplasm)
What are collectins and how do they work?
Family of proteins present in solution; collagen structure: interacts with effector parts of the immune system; lectin region: binds to sugar molecules on surface of pathogen (mannose)
What are toll-like receptors and how do they work?
Membrane bound receptors: TLR1: gram+ bacteria TLR2: gram+ bacteria + mycoplasma TLR3: RNA virus (dsRNA) TLR4: gram- bacteria TLR5: flagellin TLR6: micoplasma TLR7: RNA virus (ssRNA) TLR8: RNA virus (ssRNA) TLR9: unmethylated CpG DNA TLR10: ?
What are Nod-like receptors and how do they work?
Intracellular PRR; NOD-1 –> gram+ bacteria; NOD-2 –> all bacteria
Which are the effector mechanisms of the innate immune system?
- Complement
- Phagocytosis and killing
- Cytokines
- Activation of adaptive immunity
How does complement work and for which pathogens is it important?
Important for bacteria; operate via cascade activated by 3 pathways (classical, MB-lectin, alternative); induce activation of C3 by C3 convertase:
- C4a, C3a, C5a: recruitment phagocytosis
- C3b: opsonization
- C5b, C6,7,8,9: membrane attack complex –> lysis
What are the key players in phagocytosis?
Macrophage: maturates from circulating monocytes, large numbers in GI tract, spleen, liver and lungs, long-lived
Neutrophil: found only in blood unless activated, short-lived
What are the killing mechanisms of macrophages and neutrophils?
Neutrophils: reactive oxygen intermediates –> NADPH oxidase on surgace of phagosome forms hydroxil radicals and hypochlorite –> DNA damage and alterations in bacterial membranes
Macrophages: reactive nitrogen intermediates –> cytokines –> inducible NO synthetase –> conversion of O2 and L-arginine to NO and L-citrulline –> DNA damage and alterations in bacterial membranes
What are cytokines?
Proteins that act as intercellular messengers, can be activating or deactivating
Innate response: mostly activating (IL1,6, TNF-alpha)
Adaptive: also deactivating
What are chemokines and what are some examples?
Class of cytokines with chemoattractant properties; promote inflammation by allowing cells to adhere to the surface of blood vessels and migrate to the infected tissue; pleiotropic; four families;
IL-8: produced by macrophages and endothelial cells –> recruits neutrophils to site of infection
What are interferons and how are they classified?
They are a class of cytokines:
Type 1: IFNalpha and beta –> response in virally infected cells –> activate NK cells
Type 2: IFNgamma –> antimicrobial killing, mostly adaptive immune response
What is the function of NK cells?
Kill virally infected cells and tumor cells, responsive to TNFalpha, IL-12; produce IFNgamma
What are the functions of IL1,6, IL12, IL8 and TNFalpha?
IL-1,6 —> inflammation and fever
IL-12 —> CD4 T cell differentiation
TNF-alpha —> fever, macrophage activation
IL8 —> produced by macrophages and endothelial cells —> recruits neutrophils to site of infection
What are the 3 types of antigen presenting cells?
Macrophages, B cells, dendritic cells (usually present as immature round cells displaying PRR; maturation leads to dendrites and expression of MHC and CD molecules
What is the structure of the T cell receptor and where are T cells developed?
Heterodimer: alpha and beta chain or gamma delta with variable and constant regions
Developed: thymus
What is the structure of the B cell receptor and where are B cells developed?
Two identical heavy chains and two identical light chains; two antigen-binding sites per antibody
Development: bone marrow
What are the timings for the primary and secondary responses in adaptive immunity?
Primary: 12 days
Secondary: 5-7 days
What are the variable regions of the heavy and light chains composed of?
Heavy chain variable region (chromosome 14): V, D, J
Light chain variable region: V and J only
What is gene rearrangement important for?
Combinatorial diversity and junctional diversity (terminal deoxynucleotide (TdT))
What are the two groups of T cells?
Cytotoxic T cells (CD8): secrete cytotoxic granules, T cell receptor is not needed after recognition of antigen
Helper T cells (CD4): differentiate to produce different sets of cytokines (Th1, Th2, Th17, Treg)
What does B cell activation lead to?
Production of plasma cells –> secretion of antibodies
What is the structure of immunoglobulins?
Two heavy chains and two light chains;
Variable region determines specificity (kappa or lambda);
Constant region of heavy chain determines function of antibody (isotype)
Which type of bonds link the heavy and light chains of antibodies?
Disulfide bonds
What are the four functions of antibodies?
- Neutralisation
- Opsonisation
- Activation of the component cascade
- Agglutination of particles
What are the characteristics of IgG?
Main one in serum; response to vaccines; 4 subtypes; goes on to placent; opsonisation; activation of NK cells
What are the characteristics of IgA?
Serum: monomer
Mucosal surfaces: dimer with joining J chain
Important in the gut; agglutination and neutralisation; crosses placenta and found in breast milk
What are the characteristics of IgM?
First antibody made in immune responses; pentameric (10 possible binding sites); agglutination; too big to cross placenta; can activate complement cascade better than IgD
What are the characteristics of IgE?
Association with mast cells (mast cell degranulation) –> allergies; parasite infection
What are the characteristics of IgD?
Occurs on surfaces of naive B cells; very little in serum
What is affinity maturation?
Occurs only for B cells; with the help of T cells, B cells can enter germinal centres in secondary lymphoid tissue after encountering the antigen –> rapid division:
- Somatic hypermutation: mutation of immunoglobulin variable region, requires activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID)
- Selection: for higher affinity
- Possible class switch
Which two types of cells leave the germinal centres?
Quiescent circulating memory B cells; affinity maturated possibly class switched
What are chimeric antibodies?
Mouse variable region + human constant regions (-ximab)
What are humanised antibodies?
Only parts of the variable region that come in contact with the antigen are from the mouse (-zumab)
What type of ending do human monoclonal antibodies have?
-umab; adalimumab –> against TNFalpha
What are the differences between MHC I and II
MHC I: monomer, associated with beta2 microglobulin, endogenously expressed on all nucleated cells, binds to 8-10 aa, important in viral infections and tumors, endogenous proteins
MHC II: heterodimer (alphabeta), expressed on specialised antigen presenting cells, binds to 10-15 aa, exogenous proteins
Where are the genes coding for MHC I and II situated?
Chromosome 6; 3 different HLA coding for MHC I and 3 for MHC II; polygenic and polymorphic
How does T cell activation occur?
Signal 1: TCR and MHC complex (CD4 with MHC II and CD8 with MHC I)
Signal 2: co-stimulation (CD80/86 with CD28)
Signal 3: APC secretes cytokines to direct differentiation of CD4 T cells
Activation –> division and production of cytokines
Which types do CD4 T cells differentiate in and which cytokines are produced?
Th1: IL2, IFN-gamma, response to intracellular pathogens (TB, listeria, leprosy) and viruses, macrophages and CD8 T cells
Th2: IL4, IL13, responses to extracellular parasites (schistosomes), promote B cell maturity
Th17: IL17,21,22, important in the gut (parasites), extracellular bacteria and fungi, help epithelium and fibroblast, neutrophil chemotaxis
Treg: TGFbeta and IL10, adaptive and innate immune response control
Which cytokines help naive T cell differentiation?
IL6,12 and TNFalpha
How does thymic education work?
- Obtain functional TCR
- Positive selection for self MHC (cortex) with specialised APC: select CD4 or CD8
- Negative selection to eliminate high affinity self-reactive T cells: thymic medullary epithelial cells (TMECs) express tissue specific antigens (TSAs)
Which are the TSAs represented by the liver, pancreas, islets of langerhans, eye, thyroid?
Live: serum amyloid P Pancreas: trypsin Islets of langerhans: insulin Eye: cristallin Thyroid: thyroglobulin